“The Clinic” by Cate Quinn
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Release Date: 1/23/24
Pages: 320

Thank you Netgalley for this arc! This is my first book by this author, but I will definitely be going back for more. This book was so quick and kept me interested the entire time. Sometimes I struggle with staying excited about thrillers, but this one I kept hoping I would have time to read more.

Famous singer Haley is murdered while she is in a swanky celebrity rehab. When Meg finds out about her sister’s death she decides to go undercover in the rehab to find out who killed her sister. It’s not a total coverup since she does have a drug and alcohol addiction. What does Meg uncover when she enters rehab?

This is dual point of view. The other main character is Cara the house manager of The Clinic. This is her perspective on what she uncovers after Haley is murdered and Megan enters rehab. When things dont add up she starts her own investigation. Will her questions get her in trouble?

I know what they say… Don’t judge a book by its cover. I would be lying, though, if I said that the cover wasn’t what initially piqued my interest in this book. The cover with the combination of the title let me know that it was going to be a treat because, after all, I am a sucker for any kind of addiction story. Throw a little murder mystery in to it and I’m all in.

This story takes place in The Clinic, which is a luxury addiction rehabilitation facility located within the remote woods of the Pacific Northwest. The storyline shifts between two different POV’s: Meg, the sister of the deceased and Cara, the new manager of the clinic. I have a real liking for novels that choose to shift between different point of views and this one was no exception.

I was hooked from the start. I thought the pacing was done well and that important information/ secrets/ clues were revealed at an appropriate time to keep me engaged. Our main character Meg is a little sassy, a little smart-assy, and, sure, a little unreliable at times but I really enjoyed following her through the book.

My complaint is that there were a couple handfuls of chapters that cut off quite abruptly just for the sake of making it a cliffhanger rather than continuing with the flow of the story. In addition, there are some, arguably, poorly written sentences and minor editing issues which will hopefully be fixed before publishing the hard copies.

The last quarter of the book got weird fast and you really have to pay attention but man, it was a fun ride and I greatly appreciated the way the author handled the topic of addiction throughout. I would strongly recommend this book.

I had a hard time getting through this one. I keep finding myself going back-and-forth between 2 and 3 stars, so I’m settling at 2.5.

Meg’s famous sister dies in an exclusive rehab facility in the PNW, but finds the circumstances of the death suspicious. To get answers she decides to go undercover and ultimately finds more than she bargains for. At the same time a rehab employee, Cara, is starting to suspect not everything at the clinic is on the up-and-up.

There was a lot of promise here but it just fell flat for me. A lot of plot holes needed to be overlooked, and there were several events that felt far fetched and unbelievable. Not only did this book depict addiction, but also threw in psychopathy and sociopathy towards the end. Coming from a mental health background I wasn’t too keen on the stigmatization presented here. The actual twist was ok, but not necessarily surprising.

I have mixed feelings about this book. First of all, I want to applaud the author for her sobriety journey, and for using her experiences in rehab to write such a personal book. Her acknowledgements discussing her time in rehab and the people she met there was very heartfelt. This seems like a deeply personal story for her, and I don’t want this review to come off as disrespectful or dismissive of that. For most of this book, I was really enjoying this story, and found the plot really unique. However, the plot twist and the reveal of what was actually going on was completely out there, and required a suspension of disbelief that I just couldn’t manage. It felt like the last 25% of the book turned into a bad action movie and I wasn’t here for it. I can’t speak to much of the mental health rep in this book, but the mention of OCD we had left a bad taste in my mouth. The character who has OCD is suspected to be dangerous because she put bleach in her families food, as she had a fear of germs. The main character clues into the fact that the other character has OCD because she takes a lot of showers, always has clean clothes, etc. This portrayal of OCD is stereotypical, and harmful. There is much more to OCD that being afraid of germs and being obsessed with cleanliness, and to have this character portrayed as dangerous is a little insulting. As someone with OCD, this portrayal came off as harmful and stereotypical. It’s hard enough to educate people on the reality of OCD without books promoting stereotypes. These two big issues have really left me with conflicted feelings about this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Clinic by Cate Quinn is a psychological thriller that tackles tough issues along with a mystery. Meg works for a Los Angeles casino catching cheaters. However, after an injured shoulder during a frightening event last year, she is now hooked on pain pills and drinking too much alcohol. Her sister Haley enters a remote rehab clinic on the coast of Oregon and reports say she has died there. Meg decides to go undercover and checks herself into the facility so she can investigate what really happened. With her own addictions, learning the truth isn’t straightforward.

Meg believes emotions cloud your judgment. She doesn’t have a frame of reference for normal so she looks to others for clues on how to act normal. Childhood trauma and nightmares have affected her as well. She often uses humor to divert attention and is impulsive and guarded. She isn’t tactful and gets angry easily, but she’s a fantastic poker player. Cara is the administrative manager at the clinic. She’s organized, uptight, rule-oriented, and doesn’t trust others. Max is the psychologist for the clients. He has a calming and reassuring effect on others. He seems stern and somewhat aloof, but committed to his patients. Dr. Lutz owns the clinic, is unorthodox, is the clinical manager, and he has a derogatory attitude toward the local police.

This story switches points of view between Meg and Cara. There are only a few clients so the character list is manageable and readers get a feel for each. The author does a great job of bringing the main and secondary characters to life. Relationships, childhood trauma, betrayal, lies, power, money, addiction, mental health, paranoia, and the manipulation of others play varying roles in the story. The world-building was fantastic giving readers the ability to easily visualize the people and places in the novel, with the clinic almost being another character itself.

The story grabbed my attention immediately and didn’t let up as I rapidly turned the pages. The plot is twisty and riveting and there is a feeling of deep anxiety. I felt concerned for Meg as she tries to make sense of what has happened and what is happening to her. There are some exciting and frightening scenes that have a terrifying realism to them. Both the inner and outer conflicts faced by Meg move the story forward and through some unexpected turns.

Overall, this engrossing and unsettling thriller has great characterization and world-building and pulls on the heart strings. I’m looking forward to reading my next book by this author.

SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and Cate Quinn provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for January 23, 2024. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC of this book!

As a resident of the Pacific Northwest, I'm automatically intrigued by anything that's set here. The Clinic is a thriller that takes place at a remote rehab clinic on the Oregon coast. The main character, Meg, checks herself in after she sister is found dead inside the clinic. Meg firmly believes her sister would never kill herself, so she goes on an undercover mission to find out what happened while also dealing with her own pill and alcohol addictions. The book alternates between Meg's POV and the POV of the clinic's manager who is also trying to figure out wtf is going on at this clinic. Basically if you like "wtf is happening" thriller/mysteries, you should check this one out. And definitely check it out if you enjoy unreliable narrators.

Thanks to NetGalley and Cate Quinn for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Let me just say that I was hooked from the beginning of this book. It was such an interesting concept to place a mystery in a rehab center full of famous people working on their demons.

Haley and Meg are sisters who don't always get along but when Meg gets a message from her sister while in rehab, then finds out her sister is reported dead, she moves into action to figure out what happened. Meg is a bit of a sluice, working in the gambling arena trying to catch cheats. She has also picked up a drug habit herself to go along with her alcohol dependence. So, rehab could be good for her if she follows through with it.

Quinn does a great job of taking us into the minds of addicts along with mental illness and codependence. I always love a good character driven novel and I want to have someone to root for. All these characters had great flaws but were not all flawed to their cores (a couple were!) which helped me want to the best for them. It is a great thriller and a book hard to put down.

If you like Psychological thrillers then this one is for you. You will not be able to put this one down so be prepared to have the time to finish it all at once.

Megan finds out that her sister, Harley, that has been in rehab has died and have told her that it was death by suicide. This news is unbelievable so Megan goes to the clinic to see if she can get her questions answered. Megan is dealing with issues of her own with addiction and this is how she is able to get in, by admitting herself. The question is, will Megan be able to get the answers she need or will she have to believe this was suicide.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks for the advance read. Very impressed with Cate Quinn and will be on a look out for her next book!

This book was soooooo good. Makes you look at how trauma has affected you. This book keeps you on your toes and constantly guessing but never quite getting it right. A thrilling and thoroughly entertaining page-turner. I finished in only a few hours because I just couldn't put it down

The Clinic follows Meg as she admits herself into a luxury rehab clinic after her sister died by suicide while in treatment at the facility. Meg isn’t convinced her sister would die by suicide so she admits herself to the clinic in an effort to investigate. Meg’s sole purpose for being at the clinic is to investigate her sister’s death, but Meg is addicted to alcohol and oxy which hinders her investigation.

Meg is unreliable because of her addiction. She’s constantly losing time and fixating on her need for oxy to the detriment of the investigation at times. However, Meg is an incredibly compelling character. She’s flawed, brash, and singularly focused. Her journey is one of self-discovery as she begins to engage with the program at the clinic while the investigation unfolds. Cate Quinn balanced portraying Meg’s addiction, the rehab program/process, and the mystery beautifully. Each feels independent from each other while also being intricately linked.

While reading, I was struck by how genuine and authentic Meg’s addiction and rehab experience was portrayed. In the acknowledgements, Quinn is forthcoming about her own addiction and explained that Meg’s experience was loosely based on her own. This gave The Clinic a level of authenticity I was not expecting and the reason I rated the novel 4 stars


The Clinic is full of twists and turns as Meg investigates all the patients at the clinic. I had a lot of theories throughout the novel that all turned out to be wrong. I’m not a person who studies the text looking for the foreshadowing, but Quinn was able to engage me. So much so that I was discussing the story with my husband and coming up with theories.

Overall, The Clinic is an excellent mystery that will keep readers guessing while also providing an intimate and authentic look at addiction and its recovery process.

I was hoping for more history and background on the Clinic setting; I really enjoy books that take place in settings like this. I wasn't a big fan of many of the characters and I ended up feeling a little underwhelmed over all. Still a worthwhile read for people who enjoy the clinical setting and who want to try to solve a whodunit.

First, let me start by saying that if this book doesn’t get turned into a movie or a Netflix series one day, I am going to be absolutely disappointed. Wow! This book is one of the best thrillers and suspenseful reads that I have read in a while. There are so many twists and turns in this book, every time I thought I knew what happened, BAM! I was wrong.

Meg lives life on the edge. She’s an undercover agent in a casino that catches loan sharks and illegal gamblers and arrests them. But, she has a dark side. And is struggling with addition to pain pills. Her sister, Hayley, lives life on the edge too, but in the limelight as an internationally known singer. Hayley too struggles with addiction and it’s a shock when Meg receives a devastating call. Hayley has died in rehab. Meg feels something is sinister and not right, so knowing she needs to get clean herself, she checks herself into the same rehab Hayley was in so that she can try and figure out what really happened to her sister.

Get ready for a roller coaster of twists and turns and epic plot twists. The Clinic is a psychological thriller… literally, and an absolute MUST READ!

I thought this was a good book but it was kinda out there in the plot. With that happening it made me not as interested as I would have been. I am not saying it couldn’t happen because in todays times who knows but it felt a little too out there. The book itself was a very interesting read and was suspenseful for sure. There were high paced moments in the book which helped to get it moving. I liked it some.

Meg, an addict herself, decides to go undercover in the luxury rehab clinic her sister died in. She doesn’t believe the story of suicide she’s being sold. While there, she encounters more and more mysterious people and events, and realizes that the situation may be far bigger than she ever imagined.

So here’s the thing. This book is really intriguing and mysterious to start. But then it seems to go completely off the rails. However, in her author’s note, Quinn explains how a lot of it is actually from her real experiences in rehab. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get her newsletter to work which would have given me even more info on this. So this book may be far less off the rails than I originally thought.

While I liked this book, I didn’t love it, for the reason described above. I was definitely invested in the characters though. I would say give this book a try and form your own opinion (just know there are a lot of trigger warnings).

If you judge a book by its cover then this is definitely one that applies. It’s just that a mysterious read that will make you want to cuddle up with a blanket and not stop reading!

🔍 THRILLER TUESDAY but make it ATMOSPHERIC, TWISTED, CLAUSTROPHOBIC and UNSETTLING 🔎 … “The Clinic” by Cate Quinn will punch you square in the gut with a TWIST that you will never see coming!

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

The Clinic is an exclusive remote rehabilitation clinic on the Pacific Northwest coast that caters to a celebrity clientele. When a famous country singer (Haley) mysteriously dies, her sister Meg enters The Clinic posing as a patient in order to dig into what happened to Haley. Much like Haley, Meg is no stranger to addiction and has a serious problem with alcohol and popping pills.

The Clinic is deeming Haley’s death as a suicide, but Meg does not believe that for a second. Meg checks herself into rehab with a mission to investigate and find out the truth. But of course along the way she must face her own personal demons … and figure out what her nightmares and notes written by Haley will reveal about their past. WHAT else will Meg find out about The Clinic?? And WHAT really happened to her sister??

For fans of Sarah Pearse’s “The Retreat” and shows like White Lotus and Nine Perfect Strangers, this rehab thriller is exactly up your alley!

Thank you kindly to @catequinnauthor @bookmarked @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest reviews! This book releases on January 23, 2024!

3.25 Stars
I wasn’t the biggest fan of this book, a lot of over predictable thriller tropes in this book. The Main storyline with the character Meg had this whole part of her story that ended up being nothing but it WAS SO HYPED UP! I ended up enjoying the second POV of Cara more, as well as the connection that was created between all the patients in the clinic.

I have to admit, I was wary going into this one. At (nearly) 450 pages, it's well over 100 pages longer than your average mystery/thriller. I needn't have worried though. It was compelling enough that I read it in the same amount of time (if not faster).

There wasn't a single character that I trusted. I tend to be suspicious of most characters in mysteries/thrillers, but even Meg was unreliable. After all, how can you trust someone that's unsure if what they're seeing/remembering is real or actually happened?

The setting was also a huge draw for me. The more isolated the setting, the better (in my opinion).

I really like how Cate Quinn took her experience and used it to write this book. It feels real and I appreciate the discussion with mental health and sobriety. I had really high hopes for this story, but it ended up being a little disappointing. Meg was a hard character for me to like and I think that made the book less enjoyable.

Unfortunately this book was not for me. I actually DNF'd it about 30% in because I could not get connected with the characters at all and it failed to hold my attention.